1972

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 * 1972-01-21 - THE CAPTAIN'S GARTER, NEPTUNE, NJ**

BOTTLE OF RED WINE (3:58) / YOU KNOW MY LOVE (11:56) / WHY'S IT SO HARD (11:34) / CONFESSIN' THE BLUES (13:50) / SWEET MISS SALLY (9:32)

One show, triple bill, with The Sundance Blues Band opening for Inferno and headliner Ruby Falls & The Rock City Band. This was the opening of a three-night residency for the Sundance Blues Band, and the group’s only-ever performances at this venue. The line-up of the Sundance Blues Band for this residency was Southside Johnny, Steven Van Zandt, Garry Tallent, Vini Lopez, and David Sancious. Springsteen, who had only just returned from a month-long stay in California, joined the band onstage for elements of this and the following two nights shows.

Vini Lopez handles the lead vocal on Eric Clapton’s “Bottle Of Red Wine”. Steven Van Zandt provides the Greg Allman-ish vocal on Willie Dixon’s “You Know My Love” (mentioned as being inspired by Otis Rush’s cover version). A highlight is the mesmerizing “Why's It So Hard”, written by Springsteen but sung here by Southside Johnny (there’s no Bruce-led vocal rendition in circulation). David Sancious’ organ playing on this track is nothing short of spellbinding. Springsteen provides the lead vocal on Walter Brown’s immortal “Confessin’ The Blues” and the boogie romp “Sweet Miss Sally”. Bruce is playing rhythm guitar on all tracks. This material tends to circulate under a variety of dates, sometimes with audio from other 1971 shows added on.

Albee Tellone adds: "I recall going to one of the nights listed here but I don't recall seeing Bruce play with them. He may have arrived later as is his habit when sitting in. I left early due to lack of funds to buy beer. It was a dance club full of "greasers" and disco types. I didn't feel comfortable there anyway. Stevie got me through the door without paying the cover charge and bought me my first beer of two."

The above-mentioned setlist is taken from an audience recording of very good to excellent quality that is close to soundboard standard and makes for enjoyable listening. Although the audio has now been positively linked to this residency, it is not yet established from which of the three nights it emanates. There are discernible edits between songs so this may be a “compilation” of material from one or more of these three nights. There doesn’t sound as if there are more than a few dozen people in the audience, consistent with the group being the early evening opener for this residency.


 * 1972-01-22 - THE CAPTAIN'S GARTER, NEPTUNE, NJ**

No set details known. One show, triple bill, with The Sundance Blues Band opening for Inferno and headliner Ruby Falls & The Rock City Band. The line-up of the Sundance Blues Band for these shows was Southside Johnny, Van Zandt, Tallent, Lopez and David Sancious. Springsteen guests on guitar and vocals.


 * 1972-01-23 - THE CAPTAIN'S GARTER, NEPTUNE, NJ**

No set details known. One show, triple bill, with The Sundance Blues Band opening for Inferno and headliner Ruby Falls & The Rock City Band. The line-up of the Sundance Blues Band for these shows was Southside Johnny, Van Zandt, Tallent, Lopez and David Sancious. Springsteen guests on guitar and vocals. Although it probably wasn’t planned as such, this night’s gig is believed to have been the final ever performance of The Sundance Blues Band.

BAND PERSONNEL NOTE: at this point in time, The Sundance Blues Band was the same personnel as The Bruce Springsteen Band with Southside Johnny as front man. Bruce had left for his family Christmas visit with no plans to return to NJ. A quick-thinking Van Zandt threw together a band called Blued Midnight but reverted to the old Sundance Blues Band name after one gig at the Student Prince. Things weren't going well and some of them wanted to relocate to Richmond, Virginia. David Sancious and Garry Tallent made the move and got work in a recording studio. Southside Johnny also moved to Richmond and joined a different band when Van Zandt and Lopez decided to return to NJ. Springsteen never considered moving to Richmond and pursued Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos as a solo artist.


 * 1972-01-28 - THE CAPTAIN'S GARTER, NEPTUNE, NJ**

No set details known. One show, double bill, with The Bruce Springsteen Band opening for headliner Powers Flower (a local musical troupe that performed an adaptation of the rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar). Although billed as the undercard, Springsteen actually closed the show.


 * 1972-01-29 - THE CAPTAIN'S GARTER, NEPTUNE, NJ**

No set details known. One show, double bill, with The Bruce Springsteen Band opening for headliner Powers Flower (a local musical troupe that performed an adaptation of the rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar). Although billed as the undercard, Springsteen actually closed the show. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-01-30 - THE CAPTAIN'S GARTER, NEPTUNE, NJ**

No set details known. One show, double bill, with The Bruce Springsteen Band opening for headliner Powers Flower (a local musical troupe that performed an adaptation of the rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar). Although billed as the undercard, Springsteen actually closed the show. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-02-04 - THE BACK DOOR, RICHMOND, VA**

DOWN THE ROAD APIECE (6:11) / MAKE UP YOUR MIND (5:50) / LIKE A STRANGER (10:46) / I REMEMBER #1 (15:10) / I'M INTO SOMETHING GOOD (2:55) / TAKE OUT SOME INSURANCE (2:24) / DOWN TO MEXICO #1 (5:22) / WHEN YOU DANCE #1 (6:58) / MAGIC KIND OF LOVING (5:53) / LOVE IS A CRAZY THING (6:04) / THE BAND'S JUST BOPPIN' THE BLUES (12:53) / I JUST CAN'T CHANGE (6:27) / ALL I WANT TO DO IS DANCE #1 (7:45) / DOWN TO MEXICO #2 (5:32) / BLESS MY SOUL #1 (11:47) / DOWN TO MEXICO #3 (5:03) / DARKNESS, DARKNESS (12:22) / SITTIN' ON TOP OF THE WORLD (10:18) / BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY (with Southside Johnny, 14:03) / IT'S ALL OVER NOW, BABY BLUE (11:16) / COWBOYS OF THE SEA (10:50)

One show, with The Bruce Springsteen Band the sole act on the bill. This was opening night of 9-show residency that encompassed three of the four weekends in February. Southside Johnny was a guest on the first weekend. However Southside’s harp playing is only heard on one track, “Bright Lights, Big City”. Bruce handles the harmonica on “Just Can't Change”, one of his better songwriting efforts of 1971. Two other standout songs are “Like A Stranger” and “Make Up Your Mind”. The most interesting track is the full band version of “Cowboys Of The Sea”, a song that clearly foreshadows the change of lyric style that Bruce was adopting at the time. Click the date/location link to view a series of photos of Springsteen and the band taken at The Back Door, as well as audio of Bruce's cover of Herman's Hermits' "I'm Into Something Good".

The above-mentioned twenty-one songs are culled from circulating audience and soundboard audio from the nine show residency that would seem to encompass parts of three of these nine shows, consequently there are multiple performances of some songs. A total of twenty-six songs were recorded, the above twenty-one plus another five which are very likely to date from a fourth show - February 26. Most of these twenty-six recordings have been in circulation since the mid-1980s and more than half have been issued on various mainstream bootleg titles. All twenty-six songs are available on the four-CD set 'The Really, Truly, Complete Backdoor Club Tapes' (Non-Uber Series Vol. 2). The first CD is soundboard sourced, taken directly from Tinker West's original reel tapes. The rest is audience recorded and the overall sound quality is good. This four-CD set was subsequently bootlegged as 'The Backdoor Club Tapes' (Midnight Dreamer). The so-called 'Backdoor Club Tapes' represent some of the most perplexing live audio to sort out, primarily due to the fact that nearly all the between-song audio appears to have been cut by the original taper prior to the audio entering into collector circulation. Because of the lack of audio continuity it is extremely difficult to tell which recordings emanate from which shows, and virtually impossible to decipher the correct running order. Although the shows of February 4 and 26 are often cited on trade lists, these two dates appear to be based on the fact that for many years these were the only two dates known to have been played at the club. It is now known the residency was much longer, so this material could be from any of the shows. However, it is more likely that most of it comes from the final weekend's performances. When performing "The Band's Just Boppin' The Blues", Bruce would mention the day of the week in the song. In this recording, he sings "it's a Sunday night", dating the recording of this particular song to either February 6, 20, or 27. There was no known show at The Back Door on February 13.


 * 1972-02-05 - THE BACK DOOR, RICHMOND, VA**

SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME / SOUTHERN SUN / MOON BEAMS / I'M THE ONE / DOWN TO MEXICO / MAGIC KIND OF LOVING / WHEN YOU WALK WITH ME / SHE'S A WOMAN / SHE'S COOL / WHEN SHE WALKS / DOWN TO THE RIVERSIDE / A STORY

One show, with The Bruce Springsteen Band the sole act on the bill. The second of nine shows held at the club during February. The above setlist is culled from a handwritten setlist that was auctioned on an online auction website in 2010. Although the document is undated, the songs listed indicate that it is most likely to derive from the late '71-early '72 period. Therefore, although we have placed the information here in reality it could actually be sourced from any time around October 1971-February 1972. The thirteen-song track list is a mixture of known originals, covers and several that remain unidentified. The Drifters' "Save The Last Dance For Me" is the first song listed, the earliest known performance. The Springsteen-penned "Southern Sun" was recorded during the Demo studio sessions in May-June 1972. Two potentially unknown Springsteen originals follow, before a song listed only as 'E - A (?)'. "Down To Mexico" (written as "Do Run Daddy") and "Magic Kind Of Loving" were both definitely performed during the Band's residency at The Back Door. "When You Walk With Me" could be another original. "She's A Woman" was played at Rutgers University in December 1971 and "She's Cool" is likely to be a cover of the 1966 song by Greek garage-rock band Loubogg. The last three songs listed could all be Springsteen originals, indeed "Down To The Riverside" is likely to be Springsteen's title for the song commonly known as "Grandpa's Gone Down", a moving acoustic track about his grandfather. The song features several occurrences of the phrase "down to the riverside". include component="page" wikiName="brucebase" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-02-06 - THE BACK DOOR, RICHMOND, VA**

One show, with The Bruce Springsteen Band the sole act on the bill. The third of nine shows held at the club during February. //See February 4 listing for details on circulating audio from this residency.// include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-02-11 - LIVINGSTON COLLEGE, PISCATAWAY, NJ**

No set details known. One show, double bill, with The Bruce Springsteen Band headlining and Southern Conspiracy opening. Livingston College is a sister school to nearby Rutgers University and this show took place inside the Livingston College Student Center. The promoter of this show was Randy Jewkes, the then-manager of 'Room II', a Point Pleasant Coffee House often frequented by members of the Bruce Springsteen Band during this period. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-02-12 - SUNSHINE IN, ASBURY PARK, NJ**

No set details known. Two shows, double bill, with The Bruce Springsteen Band opening for headliner Crazy Horse (Neil Young’s occasional backing band). Due to recent information the audio once believed to have emanated from this show can now be found under the listing for March 17.


 * 1972-02-14 - POCKETFUL OF TUNES INC., NEW YORK CITY, NY**

NO NEED / COWBOYS OF THE SEA / IF I WAS THE PRIEST / IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY (fast version) / IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY (slow version) / THE ANGEL / HOLLYWOOD KIDS / ARABIAN NIGHTS / FOR YOU

This is Bruce's complete live performance to an audience of three (Mike Appel, Jim Cretecos and Bob Spitz) that took place in Mike Appel's office at Wes Farrell's publishing company in New York City. Spitz recorded Springsteen on a reel-to-reel tape recorder. Although Bruce presented the material to Appel as all newly-created during his December-January trip to California, it is now known that "Cowboys Of The Sea" and "If I Was The Priest" were written before that trip. "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City" was performed a second time on the request of Appel, who was dazzled by the lyrics. "For You" was apparently a shorter, not fully realized version of a song that Bruce seems not to have gotten around to finishing until the sessions for the first album were underway. All songs were played on acoustic guitar during this performance. After this performance Appel and Cretecos began putting the wheels in motion to sign Bruce to a comprehensive range of contracts, the first two of which (the 'Exclusive Management' and 'Exclusive Recording' Agreements) were signed almost four weeks to the day of this performance.


 * 1972-02-17 - FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL, FREEHOLD, NJ**

COWBOYS OF THE SEA / DANCE WITH ME ALL NIGHT LONG / SHE'S A WOMAN / NO NEED / GEORGIA / SOUTHERN SUN

One show, a solo acoustic performance by Springsteen. The performance and setlist are confirmed by a recording reel auctioned off from Jim Cretecos's collection in 2017. It is not certain if this information in fact refers to the gig listed at April 00. "Dance With Me All Night Long" may in fact be "All I Want To Do Is Dance", "Bless My Soul", "Dance Dance Dance", or "When You Dance"; "Georgia" may in fact be "Goin' Back To Georgia".

Audio exists but is not in general circulation.

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 * 1972-02-18 - THE BACK DOOR, RICHMOND, VA**

One show, with The Bruce Springsteen Band the sole act on the bill. The fourth of nine shows held at the club during February.

See February 4 listing for details on circulating audio from this residency.


 * 1972-02-19 - THE BACK DOOR, RICHMOND, VA**

One show, with The Bruce Springsteen Band the sole act on the bill. The fifth of nine shows held at the club during February.

See February 4 listing for details on circulating audio from this residency. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-02-20 - THE BACK DOOR, RICHMOND, VA**

One show, with The Bruce Springsteen Band the sole act on the bill. The sixth of nine shows held at the club during February.

See February 4 listing for details on circulating audio from this residency. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-02-25 - THE BACK DOOR, RICHMOND, VA**

BLESS MY SOUL / SOMETHING YOU GOT / COWBOYS OF THE SEA / MAGIC KIND OF LOVING / WALKING THE DOG / DOWN TO THE RIVERSIDE / ALL I WANT TO DO IS DANCE / LIKE A STRANGER / (GET YOUR KICKS ON) ROUTE 66 / LITTLE QUEENIE / IT'S ALL OVER NOW, BABY BLUE / MAKE UP YOUR MIND / COMING HOME / COWBOYS OF THE SEA / WHEN YOU DANCE

One show, with The Bruce Springsteen Band the sole act on the bill. The seventh of nine shows held at the club during February. This fifteen-song setlist is likely to the be the complete show and is confirmed as emanating from this date. Historically, the most significant track here is "Down To The Riverside" (a.k.a. "Grandpa's Gone Down"), which is about the death of Springsteen's grandfather. This tape represents the only known recording of the song. "Bless My Soul" is also known by the title "You Sure Can Dance". Curiously, the set does seem to include two renditions of "Cowboys Of The Sea", they are two distinct performances and have continuity. The second version opens the encore. Butch Ball at Stillwater Studios in Richmond provided the setlist information.

The setlist above is culled from an audience recording of good quality that unfortunately suffers from over-recording. It is currently not in circulation. The master reel-to-reel recording was listed for auction at Sotheby's in June 2014 with a rather hopeful estimate of $20,000-$30,000. It has been suggested that Springsteen's performance was recorded at the behest of John Hammond, who was keen to hear Springsteen's abilities fronting an electric band. See February 4 listing for details on circulating audio from this residency.


 * 1972-02-26 - THE BACK DOOR, RICHMOND, VA**

DOWN TO MEXICO #4 (5:42) / SOMETHING YOU GOT (8:20) / ALL I WANT TO DO IS DANCE #2 (7:27) / I REMEMBER #2 (14:29) / BLESS MY SOUL #2 (11:38)

One show, with The Bruce Springsteen Band the sole act on the bill. The eighth of nine shows held at the club during February.

The above five songs are on the four-CD set 'The Really, Truly, Complete Backdoor Club Tapes' (Non-Uber Series Vol. 2). These songs form part of a batch of twenty-six songs that were recorded over the nine show stand. Twenty-one are from unknown dates, but the above tracks (the contents of the fourth CD) can be identified with some confidence to date from this show. They can also be found on the fourth-CD of 'The Backdoor Club Tapes' (Midnight Dreamer). See February 4 listing for details on circulating audio from this residency. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-02-27 - THE BACK DOOR, RICHMOND, VA**

One show, with The Bruce Springsteen Band the sole act on the bill. The ninth of nine shows held at the club during February.

See February 4 listing for details on circulating audio from this residency. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-03-03 - SAINT JOSEPH HIGH SCHOOL, METUCHEN, NJ**

No set details known. One show, with The Bruce Springsteen Band the sole act on the bill. Tickets and promotional material for this dance stated 'Saint Joseph’s presents a mixer, featuring Bruce Springsteen'. Although this billing moniker hints at a solo performance, senior faculty at Saint Joseph’s (including one of the event monitors) have confirmed that Springsteen performed the entire show with his band. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-03-14 - CHALLENGER EASTERN SURFBOARDS, HIGHLANDS, NJ**

THE BALLAD OF JESSE JAMES (6:57) / IT'S ALL OVER NOW, BABY BLUE (11:30) / WHEN YOU DANCE (13:35) / LOOK TOWARDS THE LAND (9:50) / I'VE GOT TO HAVE YOU BABY (5:39) / FUNK SONG (6:25) / COMING HOME (8:44) / DO IT WITH A FEELING (partial, 1:26) / DO IT WITH A FEELING (cut, 11:14)

The above mentioned eight songs (plus a partial take) are taken from a high-quality soundboard recording of a Bruce Springsteen Band rehearsal held at Tinker West's Challenger Eastern Surfboards location. The band line-up is Van Zandt-Sancious-Tallent-Lopez. In addition to the seventy-six minutes of music there are nearly seven minutes of fascinating between-song banter, much of it between Springsteen and Tinker West, who Bruce jokingly refers to as 'Stinky'. Tinker appears to be testing some new recording equipment and the sound quality is uniformly excellent. It is evident from the discussions that the rehearsals had been going on for some time before the recording starts. It should be noted that this is not Challenger's more famous Wanamassa location that Bruce had lived in during the 1969-70 Steel Mill era. Tinker West had relocated the factory to Highlands, NJ in mid-1971 and had then constructed a more professional rehearsal room.

The standout track here is "When You Dance". Although rough quality live renditions exist, this is a clear rendition, with astounding Springsteen-Van Zandt dual lead guitar interplay. Noteworthy as well is "Funk Song" (also known as "Funk Says Right On"). There are no live renditions of "Funk Song" from this period circulating, however, Bruce surprisingly resurrected it during a few shows early on the Born To Run Tour (see gig listings for July 23, 1975, July 19, 1975 and August 8, 1975 ). In addition to the Dylan's "All Over Now Baby Blue", there is also a cover of "I've Got To Have You Baby", an obscure 1956 R&B single by Jimmy Jones & The Pretenders.

"Look Towards The Land" first surfaced on the boot 'Bound For Glory' (Flamingo), albeit in vastly reduced sound quality to that found on the master tape. "The Ballad Of Jesse James" (also known by the titles "Don't You Want To Be An Outlaw" or "Billy") first surfaced on 'Deep Down In The Vaults' (E Street). The sound quality on this boot is only slightly reduced from the master tape. "The Ballad Of Jesse James" is officially available on //Chapter And Verse//, the companion album to Springsteen's //Born To Run// autobiography. It has been edited by removing a few verses from the middle of the song, reducing the length by around a minute-and-a-half to 5:31.

In early 2007 the soundboard of the first six songs listed above (sixty-two minutes of audio) finally surfaced in excellent quality into the mainstream collector market via the title 'Uber Series #26' and subsequently remastered as 'Prodigal Son Meets The Ubers #5' (Prodigal Son) and 'The Early Uber Collection' (Ev2). However, this audio is only the first two reels recorded, a third reel also exists which contains two further titles; "Coming Home", and two takes of "Do It With A Feeling". The first take of the latter is aborted after the opening ninety seconds or so, while the second is cut short at the end of the reel. It is probable that this reel was recorded before the other two, and possible that other reels in addition to these three were recorded. The third reel is not currently in general circulation; however, audio of "Coming Home" entered circulation in 2017 as part of the 'Odds & Sods' collection.


 * 1972-03-17 - RICHMOND ARENA, RICHMOND, VA**


 * Please note that due to the discovery of a new source the audio found on CDs such as 'Non Über Project Volume One' and CDR 'Fantastic Virginia' (Vintage Masters) can now be positively dated to a concert at the University of Richmond in Richmond, VA on October 23, 1971. See that listing for further information.**

No set details known. One show, quadruple bill, with The Bruce Springsteen Band opening the evening’s festivities for Bang, The Mike Quatro Jam Band and Mitch Ryder & Detroit. This was a festival-styled show, with each act allocated 80-90 minute time slots. Although Mitch Ryder & Detroit were top-billed it was electronic space music favorite The Mike Quatro Jam Band (70s rocker Suzi Quatro’s brother) who performed last. In an attempt to minimize the 6,500 seat Richmond Arena’s lack of intimacy and notorious echo problems the promoter revamped the seating layout to house 4,500 by rotating the stage 90 degrees and placing it against the centre wall. The stage was also enlarged to allow two bands to be set up simultaneously, reducing the delay between acts. However, an article in the following day’s paper noted a turnout of only about 1,000. A newspaper review of the show briefly mentions Springsteen and notes the wide variety of styles performed in his set.


 * 1972-03-18 - HAMPDEN-SYDNEY COLLEGE, HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA**

No set details known. One show, with The Bruce Springsteen Band the sole act on the bill. This gig was mentioned in both a pre-concert article and a letter to the editor in the school’s newspaper during the lead up to Springsteen’s September 28, 1973 concert appearance at the school. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-04-00 - FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL, FREEHOLD, NJ**

DOWN TO THE RIVERSIDE

Springsteen gives an unadvertised 45-minute solo performance (on a grand piano rented specifically for Bruce by promoter Victor Wasylczenko). Headliner for this show was Sunny Jim, with Tumbleweed the opener. It should be noted that there were two High Schools serving the Freehold area and Freehold Township High School is not the one Bruce graduated from in June 1967. Springsteen performed in between both groups and he ended his performance with "Down To The Riverside", a song Bruce mentioned to the audience he had just written. This composition is known from a soundboard recording of a gig at The Back Door in Richmond, VA from February 25, 1972 as well as Appel-Cretecos song inventory documents (it hasn’t surfaced among the pool of early demos Bruce recorded). The song is also known as "Grandpa's Gone Down" - see the February 25 entry for more details. The remaining song titles Bruce played during this show are unverified. It is not certain if this information in fact refers to the gig listed at February 17. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-04-15 - THE LEDGE, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ**

No set details known. One show, double bill, held in the Student Union’s Ledge Club, with The Bruce Springsteen Band headlining and Southern Conspiracy opening. The concert ad (link above) says 'remember the last time', a reference to the group’s previous gig on December 17, 1971.


 * 1972-04-21 - GYMNASIUM, RED BANK CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, RED BANK, NJ**

No set details known. One show, double bill, with The Bruce Springsteen Band (Springsteen-Van Zandt-Sancious-Tallent-Lopez) headlining. The opening group, Albee & The Hired Hands, featured a lineup on this night of Albee Tellone (acoustic guitar, vocals), Dennis Monahan (bass), Kevin Kavanaugh (keyboards), former Castiles drummer Vinnie Manniello (drums) plus Steven Van Zandt on lead guitar and mandolin. Van Zandt played for both groups this night. He was an on and off member of Albee’s band in 1970 and later during mid '71-mid '72 when the Bruce Springsteen Band's schedule permitted it. Manniello had joined in February 1972 (replacing Bobby Williams) but this gig turned out to be Manniello’s final show in Albee’s band. There were power problems during this concert that affected some of the Bruce Springsteen Band's instruments. The promoter of this show was Randy Jewkes, the then-proprietor of 'Room II', a Point Pleasant Coffee House. Sandy Mack and Albee Tellone provided some details.


 * 1972-05-02 - CBS BUILDING, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY / GROWIN' UP / MARY QUEEN OF ARKANSAS / IF I WAS THE PRIEST

One (informal) private audition that took place in front of an audience of two (John Hammond and Mike Appel) around 10:30am upstairs in Hammond's office in the A & R Department at Columbia Records. The above-mentioned setlist is culled from the scattered, collective recollections of the attendees. All songs were performed on an acoustic guitar with a cracked neck borrowed from Springsteen's Castiles bandmate Vinnie Manniello. This performance was not recorded. It lasted 30-40 minutes, so one or two additional songs were probably played but those titles have never been articulated. Bruce's "set" began with "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City", after which Hammond said, "you've got to be on Columbia Records". In a 1980 interview Hammond mentioned he wasn't all that enamored with "Mary Queen Of Arkansas", but that he loved all the other songs Bruce performed that morning. Springsteen played "If I Was The Priest" only after a probing Hammond requested that Bruce sing something he wouldn't otherwise play live. Springsteen has since mentioned that "If I Was The Priest" was written in late 1970 or early 1971 and that he'd performed it live during his late 1971 residency at The Student Prince. When Bruce was finished with this audition Hammond mentioned that he would need to see how Bruce interacted in front of a live audience, so Appel immediately went about organizing a local club performance for that evening. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-05-02 - GASLIGHT AU GO GO, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

GROWIN’ UP / IT’S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY / IF I WAS THE PRIEST / ARABIAN NIGHTS

One (informal) show. This famous performance was organized by Mike Appel within hours of the morning audition meeting with John Hammond (see above listing). The 300 seat Gaslight Au Go Go had opened in April 1971 as a financially necessitated merger of two long-established Greenwich Village clubs, the rock-dominated Café Au Go Go and the folk-orientated Village Gaslight (the 100 seat McDougal Street club made famous by Bob Dylan). The merged entity was called 'Gaslight Au Go Go' and it was located in the 152 Bleeker Street home of the former Café Au Go Go. The legendary Sam Hood owned both the old and new Gaslight businesses. The Gaslight Au Go Go wasn’t Bruce’s preferred choice for this performance. The Bitter End, Max’s Kansas City and Kenny’s Castaways were approached first, but none could accommodate a Springsteen billing on such short notice.

Evidence from surviving promotional material indicates the scheduled performers at Gaslight Au Go Go on the night of May 2 were Charlie Musselwhite (headlining) with Garland Jeffreys (support). It is likely they were performing two shows at the club’s regular starting times of 9:00pm and 11:30pm. Springsteen was slotted into a very early evening time slot, well before the first of the Musselwhite / Jeffreys' shows started. There is evidence (from comments made by Springsteen and Appel) that this early evening time slot this night may have been booked with unadvertised amateur comedy acts. Bruce’s performance lasted about 30 minutes and included around five-six songs. Both Springsteen and Appel have mentioned the first two above-mentioned setlist tracks as having been played, and Bruce makes note of the other two in //Born To Run//. He claims the club was Gerde's Folk City, but could well be mistaken since he correctly identifies the manager as Sam Hood. There is no circulating audio/video from this performance, although both video and audio from Springsteen performances at Max’s Kansas City in mid-August are sometimes incorrectly attributed to this gig.

John Hammond attended this show, was impressed, and invited Springsteen back to CBS the following day to make a studio demo audition tape.


 * 1972-05-03 - CBS BUILDING, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

The day after his audition with John Hammond, Springsteen traveled to CBS Studios to lay down a set of demos in the studio. Five days later, John Hammond sent the recording to Columbia Records President Clive Davis, with a note: //'Here is a copy of a couple of the reels of Bruce Springsteen, a very talented kid who recorded these twelve songs in a period of around two hours last Wednesday. . . I think we better act quickly because many people heard the boy at The Gaslight so that his fame is beginning to spread.'// Davis responded the next day //'I love Bruce Springsteen! He's an original in every respect. I'd like to meet him if you can arrange it.'// A meeting between the two transpired a few days later. In 1976 Springsteen recounted the experience during a performance of "Growin' Up" in Santa Monica, CA: //'I get to the CBS building with my manager and my lawyer. We get in the audition elevator, a special elevator marked “X”. We shoot up to the clouds, passing the stars, passing all the planets. We finally get up, the doors open up, they frisk me a few times, and there at this big, solid gold desk, in a long, white robe, with a little wreath around his head was Clive Davis. He had angels taking notes and flying all around. I said “Mr. Davis…I wanna be a rock ’n’ roll star”. But first he heard my confession, and he said…”Sign here”… I put my name on that line and then...'//

Fourteen tracks were recorded, encompassing twelve songs: "Mary Queen Of Arkansas", "Growin' Up", "Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street?", "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City", "The Angel", "Arabian Nights", "Jazz Musician", "If I Was The Priest", "Two Hearts In True Waltz Time", "Street Queen", "Southern Sun", and "Cowboys Of The Sea". See the Demo section of On The Tracks for more details on this session.


 * 1972-06-00 - PRIVATE PROPERTY, POINT PLEASANT, NJ**

No set details known. One show, with the Bruce Springsteen Band giving an unadvertised performance to about 100 people at a warehouse party location on a private property. This free gig happened either during or immediately following the three days of pre-studio rehearsals for the first Springsteen LP //Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ// that took place in late June somewhere within the Beacon Manor Complex in Point Pleasant Beach. It would seem that Clarence and Danny Federici did not perform, as they weren’t involved in the pre-studio rehearsals.


 * 1972-06-17 - THE SHIPBOTTOM LOUNGE, POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ**

No set details known. Bruce makes a guest appearance with Norman Seldin & The Joyful Noyze (featuring Clarence Clemons). Joyful Noyze lead singer Karen Cassidy had resigned in early 1972 and Clarence was, at this stage, the group’s focal point. This is believed to have been the first time Bruce and Clarence had played together since Clarence’s now famous Student Prince walk-in jam with Springsteen in September 1971. Seldin and his band were booked for consecutive Fri-Sat shows at The Shipbottom from June 16 to July 8. The Shipbottom Lounge was located in the Beacon Manor Hotel. Bruce did not arrive with his guitar, he borrowed one from the band. Bruce sang a couple of songs, including one by Chuck Berry.


 * 1972-07-00 - STUDENT PRINCE, ASBURY PARK, NJ**

No set details known. Springsteen joins The Bank Street Blues Band onstage as guest for several rock/blues standards. In late 1973 The Bank Street Blues Band would morph into the Blackberry Booze Band, which itself later morphed into The Asbury Jukes. Bank Street Blues Band member Sandy Mack has provided some of this information.


 * 1972-07-00 - STUDENT PRINCE, ASBURY PARK, NJ**

No set details known. As he had a week or two earlier Springsteen turns up and jams with The Bank Street Blues Band on several rock/blues standards. The group had a series of summer '72 bookings at the club. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-07-01 - THE SHIPBOTTOM LOUNGE, POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ**

No set details known. Bruce makes yet another walk-in guest appearance with Norman Seldin & The Joyful Noyze (featuring Clarence Clemons). Seldin and his band were booked for consecutive Fri-Sat shows here from June 16 to July 8. Although it’s clear Bruce was more than mildly interested in obtaining Clarence’s services, evidence suggests Bruce’s offer to Clarence to join his Greetings Tour band was still at least two months away. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-07-05 - GRANT'S CINEMA III THEATER, RED BANK, NJ**

No set details known. One show, 5:00pm, with the Bruce Springsteen Band (listed in the //Red Bank Register// as the Bruce Springsteen Blues Band) the only artist on the bill, a benefit for 1972 Presidential candidate George McGovern. It is not known how long Bruce's performance lasted but the $3.00 donation also included a ticket to see the evening movie, //Frogs//, starring Ray Milland. The money raised from this event was used to keep the McGovern office in Shrewsbury running and to send delegates to the Democratic convention. Brucebase reader Larry comments: "I was going through a friend’s Bruce collection, trying to date his early memorabilia and I found this handmade poster, which came from the Theater's Box Office."


 * 1972-08-00 - MAX'S KANSAS CITY, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

No set details known. Springsteen opens for female folk-blues legend Odetta. Bruce confirmed opening for Odetta in a November 1992 Musician Magazine interview with Bill Flanagan and implies that the venue in question was Max’s Kansas City. Bruce was unclear if he opened for Odetta for one night or for multiple nights. Another recollection suggests the venue was not Max’s Kansas City but, rather, Gerde’s Folk City. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-08-09 - MAX'S KANSAS CITY, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

No set details known. Two shows, triple bill, with the bottom-billed Springsteen (solo) opening for headliner Dave Van Ronk and the second-billed Doris Abrahams.

Van Ronk’s six-night (twelve-show) residency at Max's Kansas City included Bruce’s first series of 'official' public performances after signing with Columbia, although there was absolutely no CBS sponsored promotion of the event. The club’s earliest promotional material for this residency only mentions Dave Van Ronk and not the two unknown 'understudies'. A later advertisement mentions Van Ronk and Abrahams, but not Springsteen. However, an advertisement from mid-residency mentions Bruce. It is likely that Bruce was a last-minute addition to the billing but performed at all the shows. Bruce’s inclusion on the bill may have been arranged by John Hammond, a good friend of Van Ronk. Springsteen has briefly mentioned opening for Van Ronk, with his most well-known comments coming during the 1990 Christic Benefit gigs. Shortly before Van Ronk died he also acknowledged letting Bruce open for him during his 1972 residency at Max's (Van Ronk's only appearances at the club that year). Promoter Victor 'Igor' Wasylczenko has commented to Brucebase that he attended one of these Van Ronk dates, Bruce was definitely the opener, and he ended up giving him a ride home to Asbury Park after the show (they lived near each other at the time).

Definitely one, probably two, and possibly several of Bruce's shows during this residency were audio and video recorded in their entirety, utilizing Max's (crude by today's standards) in-house video camera. It is believed the recording was carried out at the behest of Columbia, who wanted footage of Bruce for potential promotional use.


 * 1972-08-10 - MAX'S KANSAS CITY, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

HENRY BOY / DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND STREET? / GROWIN' UP

Two shows, triple bill, with Springsteen (solo) opening for headliner Dave Van Ronk and folk stylist Doris Abrahams. Each of Bruce's shows was limited to about thirty minutes (perhaps four or five songs). The second song listed above, "Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street?" was first shown to the public at "An Evening with Thom Zimny", an event held at Monmouth University on September 23, 2014. During his introduction to the song, Bruce explains that he wrote half of the song on a bus, the other half on a train. This could very well be his first live performance of the song.

Very brief audio-video excerpts of both "Henry Boy" and "Growin' Up" from one of the twelve shows during this August 1972 Max’s residency first surfaced in a 1990 documentary about John Hammond called //From Bessie Smith to Bruce Springsteen//. The complete audio-video of both songs has since leaked out and is circulating among collectors. These complete takes represent what was originally supplied to the Hammond film producers by CBS. The producers were only allowed to use brief excerpts of the two songs in the documentary and were not supplied any footage of the rest of the show. “Henry Boy” is the opening number of Bruce's show and “Growin’ Up” is the closing number. The remainder of the show (probably only a couple of songs, for a total of around thirty minutes) exists in CBS’s vault but has never circulated. The other show this night may also have been filmed. The video footage is sometimes mis-identified as emanating from Springsteen's appearance at Gaslight Au Go Go in May 1972. Video of both songs is circulating in two variations. One version shows the MC (believed to be Max's Kansas City manager Sam Hood) take the stage and introduce Bruce prior to "Henry Boy". The other version has the entire MC introduction segment deleted. Following "Growin” Up" Bruce begins to introduce the artist who is to follow him by stating to the crowd "here's a protégée of mine", at which point the video ends before the name of the performer is mentioned. It would seem that Bruce is using the word 'protégée' in its feminine context and that he is referring to Doris Abrahams. In a 1978 interview Bruce also mentions playing the Night Owl and it is likely that it was around this time. //Brucebase has placed these audio/video segments under this date but it could be from any of the shows during this residency.// include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-08-11 - MAX'S KANSAS CITY, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

GROWIN’ UP

Two shows, triple bill, with Springsteen (solo) opening for headliner Dave Van Ronk and folk stylist Doris Abrahams. Each of Bruce’s shows was limited to about 30 minutes (3 to 5 songs). include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-08-12 - MAX'S KANSAS CITY, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

Two shows, triple bill, with Springsteen (solo) opening for headliner Dave Van Ronk and folk stylist Doris Abrahams. Each of Bruce’s shows was limited to about 30 minutes (3 to 5 songs). include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-08-13 - MAX'S KANSAS CITY, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

Two shows, triple bill, with Springsteen (solo) opening for headliner Dave Van Ronk and folk stylist Doris Abrahams. Each of Bruce’s shows was limited to about 30 minutes (3 to 5 songs).


 * 1972-08-14 - MAX'S KANSAS CITY, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

Two shows, triple bill, with Springsteen (solo) opening for headliner Dave Van Ronk and folk stylist Doris Abrahams. Each of Bruce’s shows was limited to about 30 minutes (three to five songs). All together Springsteen performed twelve shows during his stand at Max's Kansas City, with three to five songs played per show (approximately 40 to 60 song performances over the course of the week). Although the setlist details for these shows is not known, it is highly likely that all ten songs from the //Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.// album were performed. As well as the //Greetings// LP material (and in addition to "Henry Boy", which is on the video), the other songs likely to have been played during this residency are those known to have been recorded at 914 Sound Studio in Blauvelt, NY for potential inclusion on the debut album. These include "Arabian Nights", "Two Hearts In True Waltz Time", the still uncirculating/unheard song "Let The Words", "Visitation At Fort Horn", "Lady And The Doctor", "Circus Song" and "Song For Orphans". Two other major songs written by Bruce around this time, "Balboa vs. The Earthslayer" and "Calvin Jones & The Thirteenth Apostle", may also have been performed over the course of these shows. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-08-30 - MAX'S KANSAS CITY, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

No set details known. Springsteen plays some early evening solo acoustic shows during the New York Dolls five night (August 30 - September 3) residency at the club. Bruce was not part of the bill, he played several hours prior to the Dolls show. Springsteen seems to positively confirm his non-advertised appearance(s) at Max’s during this week when, in a November 1992 //Musician// magazine interview with Bill Flanagan, Bruce commented: “I use to come down to Max’s Kansas City and play by myself... and then late at night the New York Dolls would play at Max’s, they’d play at 2.00am". This five night residency was the Dolls’ only one at the club in 1972. It is still not verified if Springsteen played one, some or all of these five nights.


 * 1972-09-02 - HUDDY PARK, HIGHLANDS, NJ**

THIS IS MY CONFESSION / DOWN THE ROAD APIECE / WATER STATION / BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO

A twelve hour 'end of summer' outdoor show, billed as the first annual Highlands Art / Music Fair. Headlining acts include the Tinker West managed local band Odin, as well as New Jersey-based folk rock band Montana Flintlock, who were also signed by Mike Appel, trading as Laurel Canyon Ltd. Columbia were briefly interested in signing the band to their label, before changing their minds. Springsteen (who at this point had completed his first album but had still not put together a touring band) makes an unscheduled guest appearance near the end of the show after an invitation from Odin's Tom Cohen, singing and performing several songs with the band. First song appears to be a Springsteen composition, perhaps titled "This Is My Confession". Cohen and Springsteen exchange guitar solos on this track. Next up is "Down The Road Apiece". After a few moments the power goes out, and they restart the song once power returns. A Springsteen original, called "Water Station", is next up, with the music and lyrics made up on the spot. Four minutes in the power goes out again, followed by an amusing interchange between Tinker and the band. Power is restored, and the band perform Big Joe Williams' "Baby, Please Don't Go". Apparently Springsteen only knows lyrics for the first verse, so fills in with lyrics from "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City". Other bands on the bill are Crazy Lester And The Blue Water Rangers, Taylors Mills Road, Lee Reiser (erroneously spelt Reisner in a newspaper article), and Charlotte.

A soundboard tape of the entire Odin performance (including Bruce’s segment) recorded by Tinker West survives in private hands but is not in circulation. Songs in Odin's set include Chuck Berry's "Maybellene" and Gary U.S. Bonds' "New Orleans".


 * 1972-09-04 - MAX'S KANSAS CITY, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

No set details known. One (informal) show, with Springsteen (solo) performing during a late afternoon-early evening 'open-mic' Monday at the club. This was the Labor Day holiday and no pre-advertised acts were booked. As fate would have it, resident Greenwich Village folkie David Blue happened to be socializing downstairs at Max’s prior to his own gig later in the evening at The Bitter End. In a 1992 interview in Musician Magazine Springsteen seemingly made reference to this specific performance, commenting: “I used to come down to Max’s Kansas City and play by myself... David Blue came down one night and as I was walking off stage said ‘hey man that was great, come with me’. We got in a cab and went downtown to The Bitter End, where I (first) met Jackson Browne.”


 * 1972-09-04 - THE BITTER END, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY

One (informal) show, with Springsteen (solo) performing an unscheduled 'guest set' at a Jackson Browne / David Blue show. Browne has stated that Bruce played for almost an hour, which would encompass seven or eight songs. This was the final night of a six-night (twelve-show) residency by Browne and Blue at the club. In a 1979 radio interview Browne commented on his first-ever meeting with Springsteen and the event: “David Blue walks in before the show with this guy in tow ‘Jackson this is Bruce and… Jackson, you gotta hear him... can he do a guest set tonight?’ So I said sure. He (Bruce) went out there for about an hour and proceeded to do the greatest songs I’d ever heard, with just his guitar and (my) piano. When he got off stage I said “man, where the hell have you been hiding!”. Bruce performed during the intermission between the Blue and Browne sets. During his Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame induction speech for Jackson, Springsteen thanked Browne for letting him get up and play at this show.


 * 1972-09-00 - GASLIGHT AU GO GO, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

No set details known. Springsteen jumps on stage at a Bonnie Raitt gig and plays a song. Bruce mentions the event during the Christic Benefit concerts in 1990, in which Raitt took part: //"Oh yeah! It's funny, Jackson and Bonnie and I, we met about uh, almost 20 years ago. I was playing at Max's Kansas City (cheers). And this fella, David Blue came and pulled me off stage and said "Man, you gotta come downtown with me". And Jackson was playing at the Bitter End, and Bonnie was playing across the street at the Cafe Au Go Go, and I got up and I sang a song."// include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-10-25 - THE SHIPBOTTOM LOUNGE, POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ**

No set details known. Pre-tour rehearsals for the //Greetings From Asbury Park// tour took place at Bill Herring's guitar shop in Point Pleasant, NJ during the autumn of 1972, Verified by equipment coordinator Albee Tellone. Before acquiring the name "E Street Band", Bruce’s 'new band' lineup consisted of Danny Federici, Garry Tallent, Vini Lopez and Clarence Clemons (who had played his final show with Norman Seldin’s Joyful Noyze at the Club Plaza in Bayville, NJ on October 21). Although information is sketchy it is believed Bruce and the band gave an unadvertised, impromptu performance in the Beacon Hotel’s Nightclub (The Shipbottom Lounge). Albee was not present at the Shipbottom and cannot verify that it happened. Attached is a photo of the rehearsal location as it looks today. Courtesy of Steve Bonham and Albee Tellone.

Start of the "Greetings From Asbury Park" tour


 * 1972-10-28 - HOLLINGER FIELD HOUSE, WEST CHESTER COLLEGE, WEST CHESTER, PA**

No set details known. Bruce's first known appearance in Pennsylvania. One show (part of Homecoming festivities), triple bill, with Springsteen bottom-billed and opening for the second-billed acapella group The Persuasions and headlining comedy duo Cheech & Chong. Bruce and the boys were a last-minute addition to the show itinerary. According to one of the College’s concert organizers soon after Springsteen began his performance a dispute erupted backstage with Cheech & Chong’s management, who apparently were upset they had not been informed a third act had been booked. The end result was that Springsteen was forced to end his set prematurely, after only about six songs. A very brief review in the school’s newspaper gives the show a positive overall review but does not give any details on Springsteen’s set. Bruce would make a return appearance at West Chester on November 22, 1974 and a review of that show notes that Springsteen was 'heckled off the stage' at the 1972 show. The College's 'Serpentine' 1973 yearbook does feature this event, but unfortunately only includes photographs of The Persuasions and Cheech & Chong. This West Chester show is currently the earliest known public performance of the as-yet unnamed 'E Street Band' (Clemons, Federici, Lopez, Tallent).

This show was the first that Springsteen played with his now-iconic electric guitar, a "1950s mutt with a Telecaster body and an Esquire neck", as Bruce describes it in //Born To Run//. He had bought the guitar from Phil Petillo's shop in Belmar for $185, and it would be his primary guitar for the next forty years.


 * 1972-10-29 - NATIONAL GUARD ARMORY, LONG BRANCH, NJ**

MARY QUEEN OF ARKANSAS / THUNDERCRACK

Full set details are not known. One show, with Bruce and his new band headlining the '2nd Annual Halloween Concert' at the Armory (see October 31, 1971 for the first show). This was a triple bill that also featured Odin and Tumbleweed. The show was organized and promoted by Bruce's former manager, Tinker West, who also handled the sound systems of all three bands for this show. Bruce is introduced as a 'Columbia Recording Artist'. The performance structure at this show would mirror the one utilized consistently for the next year (Bruce performed a short solo set and then brought on the band for the rest of the evening). Bruce and the band's performance lasted about 70 minutes and encompassed about eight or nine songs. One attendee has a memory of both "Santa Ana" and "Zero And Blind Terry" being played, although that seems unlikely (especially "Zero") given other information about Bruce's creation process for these two compositions. Setlists from this time are rare, but the set includes the earliest known performance of "Thundercrack".

There is no audio of this show in circulation.


 * 1972-11-11 - COLLEGE GYMNASIUM, YORK COLLEGE OF PENNSYLVANIA, YORK, PA**

No set details known. One show, double bill, with Bruce and the band opening for headliner Crazy Horse (who's line-up here did not include Danny Whitten or Nils Lofgren). Bruce had previously opened a show for Crazy Horse (see February 12, 1972 listing). Springsteen performed about an 80-minute set at this show which was held in the College Gymnasium. Albee Tellone comments on the Greasy Lake website: "This was my first gig as roadie for them. By 'them' I mean Bruce and the the band with no name, or the Pre-Street Band as I like to call them. Bare bones stage. Bruce played guitar and piano. Danny played organ, Garry on bass and of course Clarence and Vini doing their thing". Photographs of this show were taken for the college newspaper and the photographer was approached by Mike Appel for copies. These photographs have not, as yet, surfaced.


 * 1972-11-25 - COBO HALL, DETROIT, MI**

No set details known. Bruce's first ever appearance in Michigan. Bruce and the band perform a free promotional gig (organized by Mike Appel) at the 1972 Detroit Auto Show along with a number of other bands. The exhibition ran from November 18 to 26 and the theme was the circus with numerous clowns at the event. It is possible that Appel was able to get the band a slot due to the soon-to-be-released "Wild Billy's Circus Story". The band play on a temporary riser in a large showroom, as they start their set Danny's amp fails because it is plugged into a 220 volt line rather than the correct 110 volt. The amp literally had smoke pouring out of it and was a total loss. The other amps had to be quickly unplugged to prevent further damage.

Albee Tellone recalled that //"the amps started to burn up right away when they started the first song. It was a disaster. We were confused and upset. We drove home right away thinking "what the fuck happened?". Federici's amp was a total loss. Bruce's Marshall head was fried too but we took it to get repaired in NJ."// include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-12-05 - KENNY'S CASTAWAYS, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

No set details known. Two shows, with Bruce and the boys the sole act on the bill. Opening of a six-night (twelve-show) residency at this famous East Side supper club, which closed in September 2012. This was Springsteen and the band's first extended club residency of the Greetings Tour. Each show was 80-90 minutes in duration and included an opening 'solo' segment featuring two or three songs, followed by a band segment. Albee Tellone believes that the solo segment was developed for the Kenny's Castaways shows, when Bruce hadn't rehearsed enough songs with the band for a long night club engagement.


 * 1972-12-06 - KENNY'S CASTAWAYS, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

No set details known. Two shows, with Bruce and the boys the sole act on the bill. Each show was 80-90 minutes in duration and included an opening 'solo' segment featuring two or three songs, followed by a band segment. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-12-07 - CHAPEL, OSSINING CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, OSSINING, NY**

THEM CHANGES / BLUES IN C

One early afternoon show for inmates of 'Sing Sing Prison', with Springsteen and the boys the sole act on the bill. This nearly two hour show was held in the Prison Chapel. Apparently Mike Appel organized this as a bit of publicity stunt, and it did indeed attract reporters from Crawdaddy Magazine. A performance at this prison isn’t as bizarre as it may seem, as there had been a similar concert on November 22 starring Joan Baez and BB King that was filmed and is available on video.

Setlist-wise this has to rank (along with February 23, 1974) as the most unique show ever performed by Bruce and the band since it featured nearly all cover material, including a Clarence Clemons vocal rendition of Buddy Miles’ “Them Changes”. Greetings Tour Sound Manager Albee Tellone has commented that an inmate with a saxophone was invited onstage to play with the band on a blues number in the key of C (possibly “Secret To The Blues”). The inmate was playing a small "C Melody" saxophone tuned to the key of C. It was the only key he could play in, so Bruce accommodated his presence by playing in C. Albee recalled that one of the lines in the tune said, "she had limousine legs" - which brought a cheer from the crowd on inmates. Springsteen made reference to this gig in a 1973 Columbia Records media release. Of the inmate audience he comments: “They’re tough dudes. They got nobody to impress at all. It was good that they liked us”. Albee received a call from photographer Eric Meola (of Born to Run fame) asking about this show and the inmate with the sax. He was trying to track him down because he had taken a photo of him playing on that same stage with BB King and Joan Baez a few months before Springsteen performed there. Meola later told Tellone that the man was located but was uncooperative.

Following this show Springsteen and the band made the 90 minute drive to New York City to play two further shows that evening at Kenny’s Castaways.


 * 1972-12-07 - KENNY'S CASTAWAYS, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY / SONG FOR ORPHANS / BLINDED BY THE LIGHT / FOR YOU

Two shows, with Bruce and the boys the sole act on the bill. Each show was 80-90 minutes in duration and included an opening 'solo' segment featuring two or three songs, followed by a band segment. This show was detailed in Springsteen's first major interview, published in the March 1973 issue of //Crawdaddy!// magazine. The above four songs are mentioned in the article. The first two were played acoustically and the last two were played with the band. These are the earliest known live versions of all four songs. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-12-08 - KENNY'S CASTAWAYS, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

No set details known. Two shows, with Bruce and the boys the sole act on the bill. Each show was 80-90 minutes in duration and included an opening 'solo' segment featuring two or three songs, followed by a band segment. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-12-09 - KENNY'S CASTAWAYS, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

No set details known. Two shows, with Bruce and the boys the sole act on the bill. Each show was 80-90 minutes in duration and included an opening 'solo' segment featuring two or three songs, followed by a band segment. include component="page" page="content_help_us" wrap="1"


 * 1972-12-10 - KENNY'S CASTAWAYS, NEW YORK CITY, NY**

No set details known. Two shows, with Bruce and the boys the sole act on the bill. Each show was 80-90 minutes in duration and included an opening 'solo' segment featuring two or three songs followed by a band segment. Although no specific Kenny's Castaways setlist details have yet come to light, it is highly likely that all ten songs from the soon-to-be-released //Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ// album were performed over the course of the twelve shows that encompassed the residency. It is also likely that Bruce utilized his opening solo segment to perform a number of compositions that weren't going to be issued on the debut album, such as "Bishop Danced", "Song For Orphans" and "Circus Song".


 * 1972-12-29 - DAYTON HARA ARENA, DAYTON, OH**

No set details known. Bruce's first ever appearance in Ohio. One show, triple billing, with Springsteen and the boys opening for Brownsville Station and headliner Sha-Na-Na. As the gig opener on a three-artist bill, Bruce's performance was approximately one hour.


 * 1972-12-30 - OHIO THEATRE, COLUMBUS, OH**

No set details known. One show, triple billing, with Springsteen and the boys opening for Brownsville Station and headliner Sha-Na-Na. As the gig opener on a three-artist bill, Bruce's performance was approximately one hour.

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